Apple has been preparing for several major releases including the iOS 8, split-screen iPad, iPhone 6 and a potential compact iPod. It appears the tech giant has been gearing up to boost the iPad productivity with a new split screen support. Likewise, Apple has secured a new patent describing a compact iPod. With the release of the iOS 8, iPad Air 2 and iPhone 6 coming, a roundup of features of upcoming iOS devices should give people a good idea if the next wave of Apple products offers great potential.

iOS 8 and iPad Split-Screen

According to a report by 9to5Mac, Apple has been working on boosting the productivity of its iPad series through the upcoming iOS 8. The next Apple operating system will reportedly feature a split-screen support allowing users to open more than one application on the iPad screen simultaneously. Users can work with two applications side by side unlike the previous "unitask" orientation of the tablet.

The new iOS 8 feature will also allow other apps to interact more conveniently with each other. This will let people drag videos, images and text from one application to another. Apple has also been reportedly been developing the iOS to support developers and allow them to develop apps that can interact more together. This means Apple can offer "XPC" support soon in its iOS.

Compact iPod

Patently Apple reported about a patent grated to Apple related to a compact iPod or media player. While the design never made it to the market, the report noted that there are some parts of the patent that can still find their way to future models of the iPod. The compact iPod described features a 3-button design.

iPhone 6

Whereas many analysts predicted the release of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, there have not been as many leads supporting the prediction until recently. According to a report by Business Insider, a post at Chinse website Weibo proves that Apple will be releasing a 4.7-inch phone. The images posted show the backlighting components of the handset strengthening claims for the 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6. Apple has not made any official announcements about the handset yet.